I wanted to reach out and hug each of these beautiful, God-loving young people. Thank you, Island Packet, for making my day.

Margaret E. Powers

Bluffton

To Sunset Rotary

The Sunset Rotary Club of Hilton Head Island raised more than $34,000 during the past year.

Local beneficiaries include the Boys & Girls Club, Family Promise, a health fair and a nursing scholarship for a local student. That's just a few of the recipients.

On June 27, the presidency of the club changed hands at the annual club "Changing of the Guard" dinner. Dan Hergenroeder handed over the gavel to incoming president Nancy Riedel, who promised to maintain the same level of financial support during her year in office.

It is interesting to note that the Sunset Rotary Club is a small club with a total membership of 28 people, all obviously dedicated to helping the local community.

For more information, call 843-341-6155.

Geoff Wheatley

Hilton Head Island

For garden tour

Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make the 24th All Saints Garden Tour such a success. We sold 563 tickets, generating approximately $16,000 for five local charities.

First, we thank those who graciously shared their gardens. Without the hospitality of the garden owners -- John Cardone, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Corley, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gebler, Toni LaRose Gerken and Ron Gerken, and Mr. and Mrs. Derrick Key, as well as the staff of Memory Matters -- we could not have had a Garden Tour.

Thanks to our corporate sponsors: Bob Prust (Wine and Spirit Shop of Shelter Cove), Bi-Lo Supermarket, Deli by the Beach, Harris Teeter, Munchies, Piggly Wiggly, Sam's Club, The Fresh Market, Starbucks, Walgreens and the Women's Financial Network. We also thank the local businesses that served as ticket outlets.

The recipients are: Bluffton Self Help, Citizens Opposed to Domestic Abuse, Family Promise of Beaufort County, Hope Haven of the Lowcountry and Hospice Care of the Lowcountry. We applaud their work in our community and wish them continued success.

Special kudos go to my Garden Tour board, whose members have been so generous with their time, as well as all the members of All Saints Episcopal Church, who have so graciously supported the Garden Tour over the past 24 years. And finally, thanks to each of you for your support of this year's tour. While touring some of the finest gardens in our area, you have also helped so many individuals in need in our community.

Kathie Miller

All Saints Garden Tour board

Hilton Head Island

For Self Help grant

The volunteers, staff and board of directors extend their grateful appreciation to the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for its grant toward Bluffton Self Help's HOPE Capital Campaign.

As the recipient of this grant and other donations to the building fund, Bluffton Self Help has purchased a larger facility at 39 Sheridan Circle in Bluffton to better service our clients. Bluffton Self Help will soon be able to offer a larger area for both food and clothing distribution; a much larger pantry so that food doesn't have to be stored off-site after large food drives; expanded interview areas to ensure our clients' privacy; a loading dock with separate entrances for Second Helpings and other food delivery trucks; storage space for off-season clothing and Christmas toys; a multipurpose meeting and training room; and ample parking for clients and volunteers. A larger building also will allow us to focus on additional mission-related activities, such as training and development to help clients become more self-reliant.

Bluffton Self Help expects to relocate from its current location to the new location this fall, following some renovations to the building.

Thank you Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for helping us feed our neighbors.

Lili Coleman, executive director

Bluffton Self Help

Bluffton

For troops' cookies

Treat the Troops wishes to express our sincere gratitude to the Long Cove Club Community Endowment Fund for its generosity in awarding a grant to help with postal expenses in sending home-baked cookies to our deployed soldiers, combat hospitals and chaplains serving in hostile environments.

Letters from those who have received our "sweet gifts" remind us that what we do makes a difference in their morale. These words are from a captain in charge of a dental clinic: "As we hand out the these cookies to our patients, I pray that your scrupulous work in baking and packing these cookies will remind them that the Cookie Lady's heart is much bigger than a crumb."

Thank you, Long Cove Crumbs, for tirelessly baking hundreds of cookies each month and again, thank you Long Cove Club Community Endowment Fund for providing the much-needed postage.